


On Fighter’s Wings

by Jen425



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Time Force, Power Rangers Wild Force, Tokusatsu
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Wings, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Getting Back Together, M/M, Multi, it’s all of this because Poly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:39:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22247992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jen425/pseuds/Jen425
Summary: Taylor is forced to go to the Power Riders championship.It’s been over a year, and Wes is still missing his team.Eric prepares for another Power Riders championship after his win the previous year.And Jen prepares to return home, for a time.
Relationships: Wesley "Wes" Collins/Taylor Earhardt/Eric Myers/Jennifer Scotts
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10
Collections: Holly Poly 2019





	On Fighter’s Wings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [starandrea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/starandrea/gifts).



> In case it isn’t obvious, Jen and co. didn’t return to help in this AU, because they were sick and didn’t know for certain that Wes was dead without them. Wes didn’t die, but his dragon sacrificed her life for him.
> 
> There’s some fantasy racism in here, with Featherwings at the top and Serpentwings at the bottom of the social hierarchy.
> 
> If the ending feels abrupt, it’s because it is. This is all I could write in the time given. Sorry.

Taylor is the best fighter on Turtle Peak, at least in the air. Her yellow, feathered wings are stronger and faster than any others. Her dragon, Soari, had chosen her as a child and stayed with her ever since, marking her as a natural Rider.

She’s the former leader of their elite force, the Wild Force Power Riders. The current second in command, as the Orgs of Pullution Peak wage war against them.

Practical proof of skill she can actually back up.

But she absolutely  _ refuses _ to take time off of her sworn duty just to compete in a stupid inter-peak tournament!

…Not that she has a choice. High Priestess Shayla asked her personally, and, if it was half a stern (for Shayla) look more, it would have been an order.

“In a time of war,” she says. “We can hardly isolate ourselves, can we?”

Taylor sighs. “No, we can’t.”

So she saddles her gear to Soari’s golden back and prepares for a very long flight.

(Even if a Featherwings’ wings never tire, a Featherwing herself can still get tired.)

  
  
  


Wes is the leader of the Guardian Power Riders, now that Jen and the others have returned to the Thousand Caves. The independent Time Force team had had to return to their far off and reclusive home due to the strange adaptations that had begun to kill them from staying high too long, but his father had pulled some strings for his own continued connection to the Power.

“What’s the matter?” Eric asks, from behind him, and Wes blinks, flipping around as quickly as he can, in the air. Lucas would have been quicker, he tries not to think.

(He never could have reached him this high, though.)

Eric is his second officially, with always be at least his second officially and will always be his partner in practice, all Much to virtually everyone’s complaint, What with his Serpentwing wings, his low birth. But he had the rare-even-among Serpentwings ability to speak with dragons, so he had clawed his way up to starting the team. And he was a  _ good _ fighter, to boot.

But Silver Peaks is not a good place to live as a Serpentwing, not even relatively.

“Nothing,” Wes says immediately, in answer to the question. Eric scoffs, arms crossed and eyes giving away just how much he actually cares.

“Yeah,” he says. “That’s why we’re fifty thousand miles above the high tower. Is this about the Time Force?”

Eric knows him far too well, at this point. Wes sighs.

“You got me,” he says. “I miss my friends. I miss…”

“Jen?” Eric offers. Wes laughs, knowing how off it will sound.

“Yes,” he says. “I choose you, no regrets, but… I miss her.”

Eric smiles, giving a slight not.

“I know,” he says. “Now - let’s get ready for the tournament.”

Wes pouts. He doesn’t even bother trying to deny what it is.

“I wish I could be a part, this year,” he says. Then he catches Eric just before his much weaker Serpentwing wings give out. “Still, we should get down.”

Eric mutters something about stupidly powerful Featherwings and flicks his tail in frustration, but doesn’t actually let go as they return to the ground. Then he catches Wes when he lands a bit too hard on his still-not-healed-from-the-curse and very-much-human body, rather than soaring on his unbreakable Featherwing Wings.

They work.

  
  
  


As both the Guardian’s chosen champion for the competition and their second in command, Eric has his work cut out for him. But at least this time he’s not alone, this time. Before the Time Force had left, he’d been a team of one with lower fighters below him, so he’d had to do all of the work for the tournament (held that year by Angel Peaks and won by a young Leatherwing named Justin, Eric himself having been taken out by the officials Time Force champion, Alex. Eric had won last year, though.). Now he has a mostly healed partner, though they’ve yet to make that official on either understanding of the term.

(Wes still has to find a new dragon, after what happened in their final fight with Ransik.)

So, as Wes, ever the social one, welcomes each and every visiting champion, and their teams when they come, he double checks security and hides in a nice corner.

Except that it’s not empty - it’s occupied by a woman in a yellow uniform jacket, tight shirt, and combat-ready pants. Her wings are yellow, with some red along them. Gorgeous, if he’s honest.

“Need something?” She asks. Eric glares.

“You’re in my spot,” he says.

The woman just laughs.

“Oh,” she says, voice  _ dripping _ with sarcasm. “Should I scoot over?”

“Maybe,” Eric replies. Then, to his frustration but unsurprise, Wes walks over.

“Eric!” he says. “There you are.” He takes note of the company. “And you must be Rider Taylor of Turtle Peak?”

“And what of it?” The woman, Taylor, asks. Wes blinks.

“Well, I’m Rider Wes, and this is Rider Eric,” he says. “We’re the Guardian Power Riders, and your hosts.”

“It’s  _ wonderful  _ to meet you,” Taylor says, still utterly sarcastic. Wes just seems to shrug it off, taking Eric’s head and dragging him off.

“You too,” he says. “Now, Eric. Ryan is here - you should say hello, too.”

Once they’re about half way across the room, Eric growls.

“Frustrating woman,” he says. Wes just smirks.

“Just your type.”

  
  
  


Though interconnected, Time Force isn’t actually The Thousand Caves’ Power Rider team. No, their team is Hyper Force. And since Jen has been asked to serve as their mentor and the current team are… mostly kids, she has a perfectly good excuse for going to the Rider Championship, despite the isolation of her home. She didn’t even know how to fly until she’d met…

Until she’d met Wes.

Still, when she touches down in the currently-packed Power Rider stables, on Fivo’s back and alongside Nadira on Sweetie.

Eric stands there, as if waiting for them, arms crossed.

He’s staring at her.

“I’m gonna go in,” Nadira says, and Jen holds back a sigh.

Once Nadira is gone, she herself gets down and releases the catch on Fivo’s saddle. Fivo looks at her and let’s out a sound of worry and questioning that Jen doesn’t need a Serpentwing’s ability to understand.

“Don’t worry,” Eric says. “I won’t hurt her.”

Fivo looks unconvinced, but leaves without another “word”.

“I figure you want to know how we came?” Jen asks. Eric nods.

“Last I checked, staying here was killing you,” he says. “Wes sent you back, and then we almost died.”

Jen looks away.

“I still can’t stay long,” she says. She wants to, but… “I wanted to see him, though. And you.”

“Hyperforce?”

“A team the Thousand Caves is putting together,” Jen explains. “I’m the Mentor, but none of the future Riders know they are, yet.”

“So you’re here,” Eric says. Jen nods. “I didn’t tell him you were coming, Jen, so I could talk to him first. Just… Don’t hurt him.”

He doesn’t say the “again.” She can still feel it.

“I never wanted to,” She replies. “We both love him.”

Eric just laughs.

“He never would have become the man he is without you,” he says.

“He wouldn’t have lived without  _ you _ ,” she replies. “I’m glad he has you.”

Eric freezes.

“I’m… glad he had you,” he says. “He misses you a lot.”

Jen sighs.

“I miss him, too.”

  
  
  


Taylor’s temporary roommate doesn’t get in until around midnight, a white uniform and brown hair pulled back and a frown on her face.

“Hey,” Taylor offers. The other Rider blinks.

“Oh,” she says. “Hi.”

“Something wrong?” Taylor asks. The woman’s frown deepens as she slams her pack down.

“Not much,” she says. “Not anything that’s your business.”

That’s fair. Still…

“I don’t even want to be here,” she says. “My Peak’s at war. And you look more pissed than me.”

The woman just angrily takes off her uniform, revealing a pink undershirt.

“I said it’s nothing.”

“Can you at least tell me your name?” Taylor asks. “We’re stuck together for two weeks, anyways.”

The woman sighs, pausing.

“Jen,” she says, finally properly looking at Taylor. She’s gorgeous, even in just the light of a single candle and the smallest moon. “My name is Jen.”

  
  
  


Wes freezes when he sees her. Jen. Talking to Rider Taylor, from yesterday. She’s scowling and gesturing but seems loose, so she must not really be upset, and he…

He flies down to her and pulls her into a kiss before he processes how long it’s been, how much has changed.

“Jen,” he says. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here for the tournament,” Jen says. “I can’t stay for longer.”

Wes just  _ laughs. _ He’s smiling the most he has in the year and a half since they left.

“That’s enough,” he says. “I’ve missed you all so much. Especially you. How have you been?”

Jen blinks.

“I…”

“She filled me in a bit, when she came in.”

Eric. Right. Fuck.

Wes pulls back.

“Eric,” he says. “I…”

Eric just shakes his head.

“I knew this would happen,” he says. “I don’t mind as much as I thought.”

“We talked about it when I got in,” Jen continues.

…What?

“I take it polyamory isn’t common around here?” Rider Taylor asks.

… _ what? _

  
  
  


Eric finishes his first four rounds with embarrassing ease, trying to ignore Wes’ confusion. It hadn’t been as much of a choice to him, if he’s truly honest. He knew as soon as Jen’s name appeared on his list of participants that Wes would feel the need to choose again, and any answer would hurt him, no matter how short or long Jen’s stay.

Besides, he couldn’t deny his own attraction to the former leader of the Time Force Power Riders.

Wes’ confusion is natural - he was raised in the upper class of Silver Peak. Still, it’s been a week, and now Eric doesn’t know what to do with it, just acts like normal and watches Jen do… to be honest, much the same.

Also, Taylor keeps showing up.

“Nice job there,” she says. “You didn’t get very good opponents.”

Eric just shrugs.

“I face you, tomorrow. That should be a challenge.”

Taylor smirks.

“Good luck,” she says. “I can’t wait to kick your ass with Soari.”

Eric just smirks right back.

“Q-Ren will eat him,” he says. “Faster than he can fly.”

“We’ll see,” Taylor says. And Eric meets her gaze until the announcement of the next match pulls their attention back to the present.

  
  
  


Jen flies high above Silver Peaks, Wes beside her.

“You turned this into a habit of mine,” he teases. “I used to never go this high.”

“It’s something I miss,” Jen admits. “Food grown where sun shines properly. Flying… and you and Eric both.”

Wes looks away.

“You can’t stay,” he says. Jen sighs, shaking her head.

“Not for long,” she says. “But I… do want to come back more.”

“It’s been over a year,” Wes points out. And Jen comes to a simple yet obvious conclusion.

“It never will be again,” she says. “Of that I promise.”

  
  
  


Taylor blocks a blast from someone who is definitely not Eric in the middle of their match and immediately knows that they’re under attack. And, sure enough, there’s a full platoon of familiar soldiers flying their way, headed by two person  _ without _ wings, on a dragon.

“Orgs,” Taylor growls.

“Mutant Moles,” Eric growls.

Taylor doesn’t have time to question his words, though, instead listening to Wes call the match off.

Looking below, she can instantly see which other Riders present had truly had to fight before. They’re already flying up and calling dragons, weapons drawn. The ones who haven’t are mingling in the stands, confused. Scared.

Taylor doesn’t have the time to be scared.

They drive the invaders off.

But they get no prisoners, and certainly no answers.

  
  
  


Wes is sitting with Eric and Jen, planning countermeasures for if the Mutant Moles and their mysterious forces ever return, when Taylor barges in.

“Alright,” she says. “Why were there Orgs out there?”

“Orgs?” Wes asks. Taylor sighs.

“From Pollution Peak,” she says. “They’ve declared war on Turtle Peak. Those two odd wingless men were flying their flag.”

“The men were Mutant Moles,” Wes explains.

“We fought them together a few years ago,” Jen continues. “It’s how I met them. But I thought you drove them off after Nadira and Ransik defected.”

“We did,” Eric growls, which is fair. It had taken a lot to drive them off. “How did they even  _ get _ more dragons?”

“Obviously, by making an alliance with the Orgs,” Taylor says, arms crossed. “So what are you going to do?”

Wes looks at Eric, and then and Jen. They look at each other.

This is a crazy idea, but it just might work.

“Business as usual,” Wes says, out loud. “They’ll come back soon enough.”

It’s not really a lie. But somehow he knows Taylor doesn’t believe him one bit.

  
  
  


Taylor wins the rematch the next day and Eric blames his own sleep deprivation from planning the upped defenses with Wes.

Still, she really is good.

“Congratulations,” he says. “I actually think you would have chance of beating me if I was at full strength.”

“Excuse me?” Taylor growls. Eric shrugs.

“You’re good,” he says. “Take the compliment.”

Taylor scoffs, but there’s less bark in it than their first scowling encounter. Not that Eric is noticing.

With a nod in goodbye, he flies up to where Jen and Wes had been watching. Apparently, watching the whole thing.

“You know, I was joking a week ago when I said she was your type,” Wes says. “But she really is…”

“Shut up,” Eric growls. “Besides, we have more important things to worry about.”

  
  
  


Jen waits for them to arrive. Not the monsters, of course, but her team. Wes’ team. Eric’s team, even if he would never admit it.

She’d thrown her match so as to focus, anyways.

She keeps waiting, even as the matches for the day end and they fly to join Taylor for dinner. It had been Jen’s own idea to invite her - she likes her temporary roommate too much to let her eat cafeterium food for two weeks straight.

“They didn’t come today,” Wes says.

“Either of them,” Eric notes, voice clearly on edge. “I’d rather they just come back than make plans.”

“Agreed,” Jen says. “But we do have backup coming.”

“Hopefully,” Eric snarks.

“They’re on their way,” Wes says, confidently. “For now, we should enjoy our time together without fighting. And with Taylor.”

Sounds like a nice enough wait.

  
  
  


Taylor is the best fighter on Turtle Peak, but that doesn’t mean she’s alone. The Orgs are  _ clearly _ attacking Silver Peak.

She’s glad this match was close combat. Otherwise someone might have noticed Soari flying off.

She was calling her team.

But, for now, she was going to enjoy spending time with Jen and Wes. And… tolerate Eric’s presence.

(But maybe she likes them all more than she should.)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
